They say there are two things a man can love. I woman and a boat. I have a boat...
I love sailing the Hobie Cat on Flathead Lake in September. The sun is low on the horizon and it reflects off of the bay, and I always have it all to myself. The great big summer homes are empty.
Today the wind wasn't too strong next to the shore as I left the dock because the hills block it, but out in the bay it was a strong with white caps making it easy to goof up and capsize the boat, so I wore my wet suit. Nobody would notice if I turned over way out there unless they happened to be watching at just the right moment. They wouldn't be able to see me without my sails up. The distances are too great. Most likely I wouldn't be able to right it.
I've been thinking recently that it's really important to live in the moment. I thought about it the whole time I was sailing today. If something is good, then really drink it in. Life all too short. I don't know if it is selective memory or what, but I used to have endless summers.
I retain all rights to my photos. Please do not use any of my photos without permission.
I retain all rights to my photos. Please do not use any of my photos without permission.
3 comments:
Is that your Hobie Cat? The water is just sparkling in that photo!
Yes, that's my boat and me on it. It doesn't look that big in the picture but it has a lot of sail area and horse power for it's size and weight. The hulls have little resistance.
It's a Hobie 16, 16 feet long and about 8 feet wide. The mast is about 26 feet tall or so. It might be a little taller I can't remember. The sails are fully battened. (have horizontal ribs in them like a windsufer sail) That keeps the sail in shape.
Hobie Cats were the fastest thing on the water until windsurfers came along. The Hobie 16 is a classic, and one of, if not the most popular one design sailboat classes of all time and for good reasons. Simplicity and high performance.
It has an asymetrical hull design. That allows it to not have keel boards and still sail into the wind, and you can easily beach it. The hulls each have a convex inner shape that gives the boat a sort of lift/ stability while going to windward. When you fly the hull and are sailing with only the leward hull in the water the wing shape of it "lifts" the boat windward in the water. Makes it look cool too.
But what I really like is the ride. It slices through the water and is really smooth. It kind of bounces, unlike regular sailboat that has to smash through each wave.
And now you have the woman too! :)
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